Stories from 22 March 2010
Morocco: A Photo Competition
The View From Fez announces a readers’ photography competition, in anticipation of the blog's fifth anniversary next October. Photographs should be taken in Morocco and can be submitted by email.
Trinidad & Tobago: No to Co-Ed
“One of the latest national topics is the Ministry of Education's pilot project to convert twenty co-educational (or co-ed) secondary schools into same-sex (or single-sex) schools”: KnowTnT.com and Ken Sambury comment.
Haiti: The Real “Slavery”
“Exploitation of child domestics is a global problem, not a Haitian ‘slavery’ issue”: The Haitian Blogger republishes a piece by Ezilidanto that exposes the real “slavery” in Haiti.
Trinidad & Tobago: Red Earth
MEP Caribbean Publishers has the scoop on Trinidad and Tobago's Red Earth Eco Arts Festival, which, in commemoration of World Environment Day, plans to focus the spotlight on the country's “fragile fresh water systems: rivers, streams, waterfalls, underground springs and mangroves.”
Chile: Changes in Government Websites with Arrival of New Administration
Many Chileans noticed that some government websites no longer contain photos or information from the previous administration, and they are wondering whether it was a deliberate message sent from the administration of new President Sebastián Piñera
Cuba: Feeling the Tremors
Cuban bloggers report on the earthquake tremors that hit the island two days ago.
Jamaica, U.S.A.: On Extradition
Blogging about Jamaica's refusal to extradite Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke to the US, Active Voice says that “there's no level playing field”, while My View of JamDown from UpSo adds: “The fact is that Jamaica is neither America's weed nor cocaine dealer!”
Japan: Foreign trainees’ sad stories
A photo-reportage by Buddhika on five Chinese female trainees who reportedly escaped from the fabric factory of Tode Bussan (in Toyama prefecture) where they were underpaid and exploited.
Iran: New wave of blogger arrests
Another wave of blogger arrests has been reported in Iran but the details are murky. The leader of an anti-censorship group named Iran Proxy, and the founder of blog hosting service Persian Blog have both been arrested.
India: Foreign Education Bill
Ashish at Desicritics discusses the merits and demerits of the recently passed Foreign Education Bill in India.
Bangladesh: Government Websites Hacked
Ahamed Bauani informs that twenty district websites of Bangladesh out of sixty four were hacked recently. The blogger suggests that the Bangladesh Government should take the incident seriously and install proper security measures.
Iran: Iranians marked holiday under surveillance
Iranians marked, Charshanbeh Soori, a holiday that leads up to the Persian new year under the watchful eyes of riot police Tuesday night, after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei the Islamic Republic's leader discouraged celebrations.
India: Live Tweeting From Wedding Ceremony
Soumyadip at Cutting The Chai got married last month in Delhi and was live tweeting from his wedding ceremony.
UAE: Skin Whitening Cream
Arabmania questions the popularity for skin whitening creams in the Arab world, and gets lots of comments here.
Chinese netizens’ open letter to the Chinese Government and Google
Rebecca MacKinnon has summarized the viewpoints of some Chinese netizens who have issued an open letter to express their stand in censorship.
China: Oxfam's ill-intentions
CDT translated a notification issued the the CCP's education bureau back in February which defines Oxfam Hong Kong an overseas organization that infiltrates into China.
China: Shanxi Vaccine scandal
PH from Veggie Discourse puts together various local reports on the “undetermined” causes led to death, disability, or serious sickness among nearly one hundred children in Shanxi. Many believe that the sickness and deaths are result of vaccines that are exposed to high temperature.